JPH0221412Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Purpose of the invention] (Field of industrial application) The present invention is directed to a pipe joint used in an automobile air conditioner, for example, when transferring various equipment of the automobile air conditioner. This invention relates to a cap for fixing pipe fitting parts, such as an O-ring, a nut, etc., which are the constituent parts of a pipe.

(Prior Art) An example of an automobile air conditioner is shown in FIG. 1, and the automobile air conditioner includes an intake unit 1, a cooler unit 2, and a heater unit 3.

The intake unit 1 has a built-in fan 5 driven by a motor 4, and is further provided with an inside air inlet 6 through which a circulation flow into the vehicle interior flows and an outside air intake 7 through which outside air flows. An intake door 9 is installed within the intake unit to switch and control air flowing into the intake unit 1 through the inside air inlet 6 and air flowing through the outside air intake 7. This intake door 9
moves to the A position where the inside air inlet 6 is closed, the C position where the outside air intake port 7 is closed, and the B position between these.

The cooler unit 2 into which air from the intake unit 1 flows has a built-in evaporator 12 in which refrigerant is circulated through a refrigerant conduit 11.
Intake unit 1 inside this cooler unit 2
After the air introduced from the heater unit 3 is cooled,
flow inside.

Inside this heater unit 3 is a cooler unit 2.
A heater core 16 is installed in which engine cooling water is circulated by a conduit 15 in order to heat the air passing through it. A mixer door 17 is attached to the front surface of the heater core 16, and by setting the mixer door 17 to any position between the F position and the D position (for example, the E position), the air that has passed through the cooler unit 2 is directed away from the heater core 16. All of the air is sent into the passenger compartment from the rear of the heater unit 3,
All of the air passes through the heater core 16 before being sent into the vehicle interior, or some air from the cooler unit 2 passes through the heater core 16 and other air avoids the heater core and is mixed in a mix passage to make the air into the vehicle at an appropriate temperature. I'm sending it indoors.

The heater unit 3 includes a defrost duct 19 for blowing out air from inside the heater unit 3 along the inner surface of the windshield, and a defrost duct 19 for blowing out air from inside the heater unit 3 along the inner surface of the windshield.
A floor duct 20 for blowing air out toward the feet of passengers, and an instrument duct 21 for blowing air out from the vent outlet 10 of the instrument panel toward the inside of the vehicle compartment R are provided. . Furthermore, a room door 22 for controlling the air distribution between the defrost duct 19 and the floor duct 20, and a vent door 23 for controlling the air distribution flowing to the instrument duct 21 are attached to the heater unit 3.

In such a car air conditioner, the evaporator 12 that constitutes a part of the cooling cycle is installed in the vehicle compartment R, but the compressor 24, condenser 25, liquid tank 26, etc. that constitute the other parts of the cooling cycle are installed in the engine. It will be installed in the room ER. For this reason, the refrigerant conduit 11 passes through a grommet G provided on a dash panel P that partitions the engine room ER and the vehicle compartment R, and a union pipe joint J is interposed therebetween.

Generally, the union pipe joint J is constructed as shown in FIG.

First, the configuration will be described. In the figure, 31 and 32 are a first pipe and a second pipe, which correspond to the middle of the refrigerant conduit 11 described above. A bead portion 33 (annular convex portion) is annularly protruded on the outer circumference near one end of the first pipe 31.
A nut 34 is loosely fitted onto the outer periphery of 3 on the opposite end side. The nut 34 is configured such that the bottom of the female threaded portion 35 comes into contact with one end surface of the bead portion 33. A male threaded member 37 having a male threaded portion 36 that is screwed into the female threaded portion 35 of the nut is fixed to one end of the second pipe 32, and the center portion of the male threaded member 37 is connected to the first
It is designed to fit around the outer periphery of the tip of the pipe 31.

Next, to explain the operation, after inserting the O-ring 38 on the outer periphery of the tip of the first pipe 31, the nut 3
4 and the male threaded member 37, the nut 34
engages with the bead portion 33 and draws the first pipe 31, so the O-ring 38 is inserted between the bead portion 33 and the tip end surface of the male threaded member 37 to form a sealed state, and the first pipe 31 and the first pipe 31 are The two pipes 32 are connected to each other by threading the nut 34 and the male threaded member 37 under this sealed state. In addition, 3
9 and 40 are tool contact surfaces, respectively.

By the way, evaporators, compressors, condensers, and the like are disassembled and carried into the interior and engine room of an automobile and installed therein.

In this case, the first pipe 31 and the second pipe 32
The O-ring 38 inserted into the first pipe 31 and the first pipe are separated by releasing the threaded engagement between the nut 34 and the male threaded member 37. There is a risk that the nut 34, which is loosely fitted into the nut 31, will separate from the predetermined position and fall off. Further, there is a risk that dust may adhere to the seal portion and the threaded portion, impairing the sealing performance, and furthermore, there is a fear that moisture may enter the pipe and impair the operation of the cooling cycle.

Therefore, in order to prevent O-rings etc. from falling off during movement and to prevent foreign objects from entering the pipe,
A cap is attached to one end of the tube.

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional cap for fixing pipe joint parts, for example, those shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are known.

What is shown in FIG. 3 is the female threaded portion 3 of the nut 34.
A cylindrical cap body 41 having an outer diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of 5, one end surface being open and the other end surface being closed.
and a fitting part 42 that protrudes from the inner wall of the closed surface and fits into the tip opening of the first pipe 31,
The main body 41 is inserted into the female threaded part 35 of the nut, and the fitting part 42
are respectively press-fitted into the openings at the ends of the first pipe 31 and attached to the ends of the pipes 31, thereby fixing the nuts 34 in place.

On the other hand, the one shown in FIG. 4 includes a main body 43 having a conical cylindrical shape with the top cut off, and a flange 44 annularly protruding outward from the periphery of the large diameter opening of the main body 43. and the O-ring 38 is abutted and supported on the inner circumferential surface of the main body 43 while attached to one end of the pipe 31, and the outer circumferential edge of the collar portion 44 is fitted into a part of the female threaded portion 35 of the nut. This allows an O-ring 38 and a nut 34 to be placed at one end of the pipe 31.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, in the case of such conventional caps for fixing pipe fitting parts, although the former is easy to attach and detach, the caps tend to come off due to vibrations during movement, and the fixation function is limited. In the latter case, although the stationary function was perfect, there was a problem that attaching and detaching the cap was troublesome.

In addition, in the case of the latter cap, if the cap is inserted into the nut at a shallow depth, looseness will occur between the nut and the pipe, and there is a risk that the cap may fall off due to vibrations during transportation.

The present invention was developed in view of the problems of the conventional technology, and it is easy to attach and detach, and also reliably prevents foreign matter from entering the pipe, and also prevents rattling between the nut and the pipe. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cap for fixing a pipe joint, which can prevent the cap from falling off due to vibration.

[Structure of the invention] (Means for solving the problem) The present invention for achieving the above object includes a pipe that is connected to another pipe and guides a fluid inside;
A pipe comprising a nut loosely fitted into the pipe, and a sealing member for sealing a connection between the pipe and another pipe, and an annular protrusion that contacts the nut near the end of the pipe. A cap that is attached to a joint part, which includes a main body that fits on either the inner circumferential surface or the outer circumferential surface of one end of the pipe, and a cap that is placed on the outer circumference of the main body and that is connected to the pipe. a flat annular flange projecting outward in the radial direction of the pipe when fitted to one end, the diameter of the flange being approximately equal to the diameter of the internal thread of the nut; This is a cap for fixing pipe fitting parts, characterized in that a suitable number of notches are formed in the radial direction in the flange.

(Function) In the present invention configured as described above, when the main body is attached to one end of the pipe and the collar is engaged with the female thread of the nut from this state, an appropriate number of notches are formed in the collar. , the rigidity of the cap is reduced, making it easier to attach and detach the cap. Moreover, since the collar engages with the female thread when the cap is attached to the pipe, there is no risk of the cap falling off.

Furthermore, since the main body is fitted onto one of the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of one end of the pipe and the collar is engaged with the nut, the pipe and nut are fixed by the cap. The nut does not rattle due to vibration during transportation, and this also prevents the cap from falling off.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment FIGS. 5 to 9 are diagrams showing an embodiment of the present invention.

First, to explain the structure, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cap 51 includes a hollow cylindrical cap body 53, and a ring-shaped cap body 51 that protrudes outward from the periphery of the opening at one end of the main body 53. It is provided with a brim portion 54. The main body 53 is the female threaded portion 35 of the nut 34.
The outer diameter D of the main body 53 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the pipe 31. On the other hand, the other end opening of the main body 53 is
It is closed by a closing surface portion 57. Brim portion 54
The outer diameter D _F of the nut 34 is set to be approximately equal to the root diameter of the female threaded portion 35 of the nut 34, and an appropriate number of notches 58 are formed in the flange portion 54 in a triangular shape from the outer circumferential edge to the inner circumferential edge. Adjacent notches 58,
The numerals 58 and 58 each form a blade piece 59, and thus the collar portion 54 is substantially formed by the group of 59 blade pieces.

Next, the method of use and operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9.

First, when installing the cap for fixing the pipe joint parts of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7, tighten the nut 3.
4 is released from the bead portion 33, the cap body 53 is fitted onto the inner circumferential surface of the end of the pipe 31. Due to this fitting, the cap 51 is held at the end of the pipe 31. Next, while maintaining this state, when the nut 34 is pushed out in the direction of the arrow in FIG.
Since the nut 9 is separated by the notch 58 and its rigidity is relaxed, it is tilted in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 7 to easily allow each thread of the female threaded portion 35 of the nut to pass through. Therefore, the work of attaching the cap 51 to the nut 34 can be carried out extremely easily.

When the nut 34 reaches the point where it engages with the bead portion 33, stop pushing out the nut 34 and rotate or rock the nut 34 slightly. As shown in FIG. The piece 59 fits into the thread groove of the female threaded portion 35, rises up, and bites into the thread groove. In this biting state, the main body 53 is fitted and held within the end of the pipe 31, so the cap 51 is restrained from advancing or retracting by the fitting between the flange 54 and the main body 53, and is connected to the pipe 31 and the nut 34. It will be in a retained state. Relatively, the nut 34 is seated in the bead 33 of the pipe 31 by the cap 51.

When the stationary cap 51 of this embodiment is attached to a pipe joint in this way, the inside of the cap 51 has a closed surface portion 5.
Since the opening of the pipe 31 is sealed by the pipe 7, dust, water, etc. do not enter into the opening of the pipe 31. Furthermore, since the main body 53 is attached to the pipe 31 and the flange 54 is engaged with the nut 34, the pipe 31 and the nut 34 are fixed by the cap 51, and the nut may be damaged by vibration during transportation. 34 does not wobble, and this also prevents the cap 51 from shaking.
can be prevented from falling off.

Next, when removing the pipe joint component fixing cap of this embodiment from the pipe end, the nut 34 is pushed out in the direction away from the bead portion 33, as shown in FIG. Then, since the blade pieces 59 forming the flange 54 are separated and their rigidity is relaxed, they fall in the direction of extrusion, as shown in FIG. easily allows passage of. Therefore, the operation of removing and attaching the cap 51 to the nut 34 can be performed extremely easily. Also, cap 51
When the cap 51 is released from the nut 34, the cap 51 loses its holding power and can be easily removed from the tip of the pipe 31.

Second Embodiment FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention, and the difference from the first embodiment described above is that the main body 53
is formed in the shape of a tapered truncated conical cylinder and has an inclined outer circumferential surface 56, and according to this embodiment,
The fitting of the main body to the inner circumferential surface of one end of the pipe becomes easy and strong.

Third Embodiment FIG. 11 is a diagram showing still another embodiment of the present invention, which differs from the first and second embodiments described above in that the main body 53 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the collar portion 54 is formed in a cylindrical shape. This is a point located at the center of the main body 53 in the center direction. According to this embodiment, due to the left-right symmetry, the direction in which the pipe 31 is fitted to the inner circumferential surface of one end is the same.

Fourth Embodiment In addition, in the first to third embodiments described above, the sealing method using an O-ring was explained, but the stationary cap of the present invention can also be used in the case of a pipe joint using the sealing method using a flare as shown in FIG. Can be applied. In FIG. 12, reference numeral 61 indicates a bead portion formed into an approximately conical cylindrical flare, and reference numeral 62 represents a sealing member formed into an approximately abacus bead shape that fits into the bead portion 61.

Fifth Embodiment In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the case where the main body 53 fits inside the end of the pipe 31 was explained.
The main body 53 can also be formed to fit on the outer peripheral surface of the end of the pipe 31. In this case, the main body 5
If the length of the cylinder 3 is appropriately selected, the O-ring 38 can be held by the end face of the main body 53, and the O-ring
It becomes possible to more reliably prevent the ring from falling off.

FIG. 13 shows an embodiment in which the main body 53 fits onto the outer peripheral surface of a pipe, and in this case, the O-ring 38 can be placed on the bead portion 33 of the pipe at the end surface of the main body 53.

Sixth Embodiment In the fifth embodiment described above, the inner diameter of the main body 53 is formed approximately equal to the outer diameter of the pipe 31, but in FIG. This is an embodiment in which the O-ring 38 is fixed on the inner surface of the main body 53 by forming it to have the same diameter.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without exceeding the gist of the present invention. For example, the first
In Example ~6, the case where the notch was formed in a large triangular shape was explained, but since the notch relieves the rigidity of the collar and makes it easier for the screw thread to pass through, it may be a simple cut line. , the number may be set appropriately. However, if it is too much, the rigidity will be excessively lost and the holding power of the nut will be weakened.
This should be taken into consideration.

[Effects of the invention] As explained above, according to the invention, it is extremely easy to attach and detach the cap, and when the cap is attached to the pipe, the cap is securely fixed, and the pipe and nut are tightly connected. Since there is no rattling between the caps, there is no risk of the cap falling off. Furthermore, it is possible to reliably prevent dust from entering the seal portion and water from entering the pipe.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional air conditioner for an automobile, Fig. 2 is a partially cutaway side view of a conventional pipe joint, and Figs. 3 and 4 show how a conventional stationary cap is attached. The vertical cross-sectional view and FIGS. 5 to 9 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 5 and 6 are a front view and a partially cutaway side view showing the configuration, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the installation state, FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the installation state in the middle, and FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the installation state according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention in a mounted state, and FIG. 12-
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view when used in another type of joint. J... Pipe joint, 31... First pipe, 33...
Bead part, 34...nut, 35...female thread part,
38...O-ring, 51...Cap for fixing pipe joint parts, 53...Main body, 54...Brim portion, 56...
... Inclined outer circumferential surface, 57 ... Closed surface portion, 58 ... Notch portion, 59 ... Wing piece.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A pipe 31 that is connected to another pipe 32 and guides fluid therein, a nut 34 that is loosely fitted to this pipe 31, and the pipe 31 and the other pipe 32.
A nut 34 is provided near the end of the pipe 31.
A cap attached to a pipe joint component formed with annular protrusions 33 and 61 that come into contact with the pipe, and a main body that fits on either the inner circumferential surface or the outer circumferential surface of one end of the pipe 31. 53, and a flange portion 54 which is provided on the outer periphery of the main body 53 and protrudes outward in the radial direction of the pipe 31 when the main body 53 is fitted to one end of the pipe 31. The diameter DF of the flange portion 54 is formed to approximately match the diameter of the female threaded portion 35 of the nut 34, and an appropriate number of notches 58 are formed in the radial direction of the flange portion 54. Cap for fixing pipe fitting parts.